Ostomy garment



P 23, 1969 a. M. KIMBALL 3,468,310

OSTOMY GARMENT Filed Nov. 25, 1966 FIG.\. F162.

mvsmon BETTY M. K IMBALL ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,468,310OSTOMY GARMENT Betty M. Kimball, 5904 Cecil Ave., Baltimore, Md. 21207Filed Nov. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 597,033 Int. Cl. A61f /44 U.S. Cl. 128-2832 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ostomy garment in the form of abody encircling band similar to a girdle adapted to encircle the abdomenof a wearer and having inner and outer panel portions forming a pocketfor containing a receptacle or bag like member for receiving thedischarge from the stoma of the wearer and tapered padding on each sideof the bag like member decreasing in thickness from adjacent the latterto the outer margins of the pocket to simulate the natural contour ofthe abdomen of the wearer.

This invention relates to surgical garments and more specifically tosuch garments for use in connection with various ostomy appliances.

Such appliances frequently consist of a disc which is adhesivelyattached to the body of the wearer and over the stoma or opening in theabdomen. The disc is provided with a central opening which in turn has asurrounding short tubular neck or flange. A receiver or bag like memberis then attached to this flange to receive the discharge from the stoma.

The garment which is the subject matter of this invention fitscompletely around the body of the wearer in the abdominal region much inthe nature of a girdle and not only has provisions for accommodating theappliances above mentioned but assists in holding them in properposition and facilitates their use and substantially eliminates anybulkiness of appearance which such appliances frequently cause.

The device is equally adaptable to a person with a colostomy, ileostomy,ileal bladder or interostomy with slight variations.

It is the main object of this invention, therefore, to provide a garmentof the nature above mentioned which has the features of comfort andconvenience stated and which will afford a substantial degree ofconfidence in its use to the wearer and enable him to engage insubstantially all activities which a normal person enjoys.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of asurgical garment with portions broken away and partly in section,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view,

FIGUGRE 3 is a sectional view substantially on line 33 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the lower portion thereof.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the garment consists of amain body portion which may be made of any suitable fabric material, butpreferably of one of the well known stretch fabrics of which foundationgarments or girdles are frequently made. The body portion may be of onepiecee or several pieces joined together but it is fashioned to surroundand closely fit the body of the wearer from about the waist to the upperthighs and extend across the back, around the hips and across theabdomen as is customary with girdles.

The garment is preferably provided with a side opening at 11 which isheld closed by any convenient closure means such as a conventional slidefastener 12.

3,468,310 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 Within the main body portion 10' ofthe garment and extending substantially across the entire front thereofthere is provided an inner panel 13 which, together with the main body,forms a pocket portion 14. The inner panel 13 is fastened to the mainbody portion 10 at its sides 15 and 16 by any suitable means such assewing. It is similarly fastened to the main body portion 10 along itsupper edge 17 and lower edge 18, except in the case of the lower edge itis left unfastened in the region 19 for a short extent, the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter described.

A substantially round opening 20 is provided in the inner panel 13, andalthough it is shown substantially centrally located in the drawing, itshould be understood that its location is determined by the location ofthe stoma in the abdomen of the wearer.

The outer main body 10- of the garment is provided with an elongatedopening 21 opposite the opening 20 in the inner panel which is heldclosed by a slide fastener or similar closure means 22 as shown.

The pocket 14 between the inner panel 13 and the main body 10 provides aspace for containing the receptacle or bag 23 of the ostomy appliance.Those portions of the pocket between the inner panel 13 and outer mainbody portion 10 not occupied by the bag 23 are filled with suitablepadding 24-. This padding is of greatest thickness adjacent the bag 23and gradually tapers toward the edges adjacent the points where theinner panel 13 and the outer main body of the garment are joined so asto give to the garment a natural body contour simulating as closely aspossible the natural shape of the abdomen of the wearer and eliminatingentirely any tell-tale bulges which would indicate to an observer thatthe wearer is not a normal person.

The disc member 25 forms the connection between the stoma and the bag orreceptacle. It surrounds the stoma and is usually adhesively attached tothe skin of the abdomen in this area and is provided with a hollowtube-like short neck 26 with an external head 27. The bag or receptacleis provided With an opening into which th neck extends in close fittingleak-proof relationship and it is held therein by the head 27. As may beseen from the drawing, the neck 26 of the disc extends through theopening 20 in the inner panel 13 and the area of the inner panelsurrounding the opening engages the outer surface of the disc to assistin holding the same against the abdomen of the wearer.

The bag or receptacle may be of any convenient shape but it ispreferably provided with a discharge tube 28 at its lower end which isnormally held closed by folding the same over upon itself and clampingthe folded over end by any suitable means as indicated at 29. Thedischarge tube 28 is positioned adjacent the unfastened region 19between the inner panel 13 and outer main body portion 10 of the garmentto facilitate emptying the bag when needed.

Although not necessary to the function of the garment but solely asadded features of convenience, the garment may be equipped with garters30 and a removable crotch piece 31 as are frequently used inconventional garments of the girdle type.

In applying the garment the disc 25 is first applied to the abdomen atthe stoma and the bag or receptacle attached to the neck 26 of the disc.The garment is then applied and the bag is drawn thru the opening 20 inthe inner panel 13 and positioned in the pocket 14 with the neck 26 ofthe disc projecting through the opening 20. The side opening 11 is thenclosed by the slide fastener 12 and the garment is in place on the body.Access to the bag is then readily had through the front opening 21 andslide fastener 22 when needed.

Having thus described a preferred form of my invention what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A surgical garment for use with an ostomy appliance comprising a mainbody portion of flexible sheet material fashioned to fit around the bodyof a wearer and cover the same in region of the abdomen, an inner panelof flexible sheet material secured within the main body portion andforming a pocket with the main body portion, an opening in the innerpanel adapted to receive a discharge conductor of an ostomy appliance,an opening in the main body portion opposite the opening in the innerpanel, a closure means for said second opening, padding occupying aportion of said pocket, said padding extending from an inner region ofsaid pocket spaced from said opening in said inner panel to the outerregions of said pocket, said padding adjacent said inner regionpresenting edges which together with said main body portion and saidinner panel define an open space in said pocket adapted to receive adischarge receptor of an ostomy appliance.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the flexible sheet materialof said main body portion and said inner panel is fabric and in whichthe padding tapers and decreases -in thickness from said inner region tosaid outer regions of said pocket to simulate the contour of the humanabdomen.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 ,688,327 9/1954 Berg 128-2832,691,375 10/1954 Tasse 128283 2,784,718 3/1957 Fenton l28283 2,788,7854/1957 Present 128-283 CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner

